Sun Jiaojiao blushed with embarrassment, lowered her head and said nothing.
This was a matter between Sun Jiaojiao and Qi Yi, so she just mentioned it casually and would not get to the bottom of it.
Seeing Zhongyuan coming over with a meal, Sun Jiaojiao stood up and left with a wink.
Jiang Yuhuan didn't try to persuade him to stay.
Suddenly, a gust of wind blew up.
Jiang Yuhuan was still anxiously smoothing his hair, but the green figure next to him had already rushed out.
The moment the wind blew, Sun Jiaojiao was worried that Qi Yi's paintings would be blown away.
Sure enough, when Qi Yi saw the painting being blown up, he just said "Hey" regretfully and did not make any move.
Sun Jiaojiao was anxious and chased after him.
The painting seemed to have eyes, coming straight towards Sun Jiaojiao. A gust of wind pushed it hard, and the painting directly hit Sun Jiaojiao's face.
Sun Jiaojiao carefully took it off. She glanced at it and saw Qi Yi walking over from the corner of her eye. She quickly put away her admiration and folded the painting.
"Mr. Qi, is it your painting?"
"Thank you." Qi Yi took the painting and said distantly.
Sun Jiaojiao looked into his eyes, then lowered her eyes, and then looked at him greedily.
At this glance, she found that Qi Yi was looking at a place in trance.
She looked along, and her eyes flashed with shock when she saw Jiang Yuhuan.
She hurriedly looked away and accidentally caught Mrs. Zhongyibo and others walking over.
She reminded: "Mr. Qi, Mrs. Zhongyi is here."
Qi Yi had no doubt that he would tear the painting apart.
Sun Jiaojiao seemed to have expected it. She grabbed Qi Yi's wrist and stopped him: "Master Qi! Give me the painting! Treat it as if it was painted by me."
"No, this sign..."
Sun Jiaojiao advised: "But it won't help if you tear it up. Where are you going to throw the pieces?"
"this……"
"It's too late, give it to me and I'll keep it for you. When I get back, I'll find another chance to return it to you."
Qi Yi made a decision and handed the painting over, "Thank you very much."
"You're welcome."
Sun Jiaojiao finally saved the painting and felt relieved.
She didn't say hello and left directly in the other direction.
Mrs. Zhongyi Bo cannot be allowed to find out that she is talking to Qi Yi, and she cannot cause trouble to Qi Yi.
With this thought in mind, she concentrated on escaping from the scene. Her steps were so fast that even the maids around her could hardly catch up.
"Miss, miss, that's enough, we are far enough away."
Sun Jiaojiao suddenly stopped and said "Oh" in confusion.
The maid looked at Sun Jiaojiao's dull look and couldn't help but persuade her: "Miss, why are you doing this? You think about him wholeheartedly, but he avoids you."
Sun Jiaojiao tightened her lips, "It's not his fault. Originally we could talk about poetry and painting like friends, but since that incident, we can't even be friends. I understand him, he has endured too much alone."
"But that's Madam... it has nothing to do with you, why should he treat you like a stranger."
"Without poetry, calligraphy and painting, we would be strangers. He also protects me and doesn't want me to be entangled with Uncle Zhongyi's house."
The maid snorted: "If he really thinks this way, then he has some conscience."
Sun Jiaojiao held the painting and said, "Xiao Zhen, do you think if I use this painting as an excuse, will the relationship between us return to the past?"
"Miss, it's impossible for you."
Sun Jiaojiao looked lonely and held the painting to her chest cherishingly, "Yeah, it's impossible. My parents order me to be a matchmaker, so what's the importance of my own thoughts?"
She murmured softly, "After all, I am too cowardly."
——
"Xiao Yi, what are you doing here?" Mrs. Zhongyi Bo came over and saw Qi Yi standing upright in the bamboo forest, and asked.
"Get out of the cold."
"Why don't you come over and meet the two ladies?"
Qi Yi stepped forward, "Qi Yi has met Mrs. Ding and Mrs. Zhen."
Mrs. Ding said with a smile: "Oh, what a talent. Madam, your son is nineteen now, isn't he? Have you ever discussed marriage?"
"Not yet. He said he wanted to establish a career first."
Mrs. Ding meant to be polite and followed Mrs. Zhongyi's words: "It's better to establish a career first and have ambitions."
Mrs. Zhongyi's face froze, and she smiled dryly: "Yes. But if there is anything..."
Before she could finish speaking, Mrs. Zhen interrupted: "Sorry, I saw an acquaintance, so I'll excuse you."
She left after saying these words.
Jiang Yuhuan, Sanqi and Zhongyuan were eating when suddenly a shadow was cast on the table. She looked up and saw Mrs. Zhen, so she put down her chopsticks. Sanqi and Zhongyuan, who were sitting together, also hurriedly stood up.
"Mrs. Zhen is also here to offer incense today?"
Mrs. Zhen was very warm to her, which was completely different from the lukewarm attitude she had shown when she was with Mrs. Zhongyi Bo just now.
"Yes. The master escaped death last time, and I have come here every day to offer incense. Why is the princess eating here?"
Jiang Yuhuan smiled and said, "Dinner with the beautiful view."
"I'm so excited. Do you mind if I sit down for a while?"
"Of course not. Madam Zhen, please take a seat." Jiang Yuhuan pointed to the seat.
Mrs. Zhen nodded, "Thank you very much."
"Are you hungry, Mrs. Zhen? If you don't mind that we have already eaten, why not eat together?"
"Okay, I'm a rough guy and don't have that much respect."
Jiang Yuhuan signaled Zhongyuan to get a pair of bowls and chopsticks, and turned around to see Uncle Zhongyi and another lady walking over.
"I've met the princess."
Jiang Yuhuan tapped his chin, looked at the person next to Madam Zhongyi and asked, "Madam, who is this?"
"This is the wife of the Minister of Civil Affairs. Speaking of which, you are still related."
As soon as Mrs. Zhongyi Bo said it, Jiang Yuhuan understood.
The wife of the Minister of Civil Affairs is the biological mother of her second aunt.
The second aunt even hid this from her own mother, so Jiang Yuhuan knew exactly how to treat Mrs. Ding.
"Mrs. Ding, did you make an appointment to come here to burn incense together?"
"We were with Mrs. Zhen. Mrs. Zhen said that we only found out she was the princess when we saw an acquaintance."
Jiang Yuhuan said calmly: "Oh, do you want to have a vegetarian meal together?"
Mrs. Ding looked at the touched dishes with disgust on her face, "It's better not to disturb the princess's enjoyment."
"Okay, then you can do it yourself."
Mrs. Ding left. Mrs. Zhongyi looked at Mrs. Zhen, who was sitting firmly, and then at Mrs. Ding, who had left. She hesitated.
Finally, seeing no one talking to her, she chased Mrs. Ding.
Qi Yi came over and bowed silently, then left.
After they walked away, Mrs. Zhen breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Finally they are gone."
"Mrs. Zhen doesn't like to be with them?"
"Mrs. Zhongyibo specially invited Mrs. Ding as a lobbyist to persuade me to persuade my master not to hold Qi Yun responsible. After I went back that day, I told me that if the princess hadn't seen the clues, I might not have been able to escape. One death. Princess, thank you!"
Qi Yun is still being detained in Dali Temple and has not been formally sentenced.
Today's arrangement is probably Uncle Zhongyi's intention.
"I'm just protecting myself. They are doing this because of me. Only when Master Zhen is safe can we break the situation."
Mrs. Zhen held Jiang Yuhuan's hand excitedly, "The princess must not be humble. You don't know their plans. After all, you are still kind-hearted. Any escape is a good outcome."
Jiang Yuhuan felt that this was also the case, so she did not refute and asked, "What do you think, Mrs. Zhen?"
"I didn't agree, but I didn't refuse either. I don't understand these twists and turns. Let's go back and ask my master. Both I and the master will keep this kindness in mind. If the princess needs help in the future, just ask. .”
"Okay, then I'm welcome."
It's a favor. If someone wants to return it to her, there's no need to refuse it.
She is beleaguered on all sides, but she will be useful one day.
Mrs. Zhen patted Jiang Yuhuan's hand gently and said loudly: "Refreshing! The temperament of the princess is exactly the same as your mother's. She is very popular."
Jiang Yuhuan was slightly surprised, "Mrs. Zhen knows my mother?"
Mrs. Zhen let go of her hand and looked up into the distance as if thinking about it, "We met a few times at various banquets and talked to her a few times. It's a pity that before I could make this friend, she... she She is not like ordinary boudoir ladies who are shy and timid in everything they say. I like that temperament very much."
As she spoke, she smiled.
"Is this what my mother is like? I always thought she was dignified and elegant."
Mrs. Zhen waved her hand, "No conflict, you are quite dignified when you are dignified."
Jiang Yuhuan couldn't help laughing, what kind of description was this.
Mrs. Zhen also realized that she had not described it well, and said with a smile: "I am a rough person, I can't speak, and I make the princess laugh."
"No. Then what does my mother look like when she is immodest?"
Mrs. Zhen frowned and thought for a while, "Actually, she is quite dignified. After all, she is a young lady raised by the Duke's Palace. Her manners are always elegant, but I can feel that there is a chivalry in her behavior."
Jiang Yuhuan couldn't imagine it, but based on shopkeeper Wu's description, she felt that her mother should be like this.
Mrs. Zhen never stopped talking and talked a lot about Luo Huizhi in her memory.
Luo Huizhi had many friends, and it was these friends who supported her in the dowry matter.
Some are well-known to everyone, such as the queen, and some are like friends in the world, with names that no one has heard of.
"She is so popular because she is very kind."
Jiang Yuhuan became interested, "How do you say it?"
Mrs. Zhen looked around cautiously, leaned slightly closer to Jiang Yuhuan, and said in a lowered voice, "I once accidentally heard her arguing with the Queen Mother."
At that time, Master Zhen was still a minor official in the Ministry of Personnel, and Mrs. Zhen did not need to pretend to be as stable as she does now.
When she saw a thief stealing on the street, she enthusiastically helped the owner chase the thief.
The thief ran into an alley, was desperate, dropped his money bag and ran away.
Mrs. Zhen was in a hurry to find the money bag, so she did not argue with the thief.
There were just a lot of sundries placed there, and the money bag was thrown away by the thief.
She went in to look for it, and finally found it. She was about to go out, but she overheard a conversation between Luo Huizhi and the Queen Mother, who was the second daughter of the Duke's Palace at the time.
Her whole body was hidden by debris, and they didn't notice anyone here.
The Queen Mother cried and asked Luo Huizhi why she was unwilling to match up and let her be friends with the First Queen. Was she afraid that she would steal her friend?
Luo Huizhi said that if the Queen Mother really thought the Queen was good and wanted to be friends with the Queen, she would be happy to take her with her every time she went to see the Queen. But the Queen Mother had bad intentions and she couldn't harm her friends.
In the end, the two broke up unhappy.
"I didn't understand at that time what the Queen Mother could have. I didn't know until the Queen Mother died of illness and the Queen Mother became the successor." After Mrs. Zhen finished speaking, she looked at Jiang Yuhuan carefully. Seeing that Jiang Yuhuan was deep in thought, she said angrily, "Look at me. What are you talking about?"
Jiang Yuhuan didn't notice the change in Mrs. Zhen's expression. She held back her smile and kept her expression unchanged.
Mrs. Zhen really doesn't know how to pretend at all.
This matter involves the privacy of the Queen Mother. She must have told her so rashly not accidentally, but on purpose.
She did this probably because the Queen Mother elevated her to the title of Princess of the County. She was afraid that she simply thought the Queen Mother was good to her, so she specially reminded her to be careful of the Queen Mother.
With Mrs. Zhen's temperament, she probably wouldn't dig out old stories to remind her in such a roundabout way. This was most likely Master Zhen's idea to reveal the news to her to thank her for her previous help.
I don’t know if it’s a coincidence that today, this is already the third person releasing this kind of news, as if the Queen Mother is more dangerous than the already-enmityed Concubine Sun.
"Mrs. Zhen, there is no need to blame yourself. I also want to hear more about my mother."
Mrs. Zhen said coquettishly, "Actually, I don't know much."
Jiang Yuhuan took the initiative to guide, "My mother must be very sad when the late Queen passes away."
"Yes, I heard that I was ill at that time, and had fetal gas, and I was bedridden until the day of delivery..."
Until the day of delivery, she died of dystocia.
Is it because of the deep relationship with the late empress that she is so sad, or is there something else hidden?
